Saturday, January 21, 2017

"God does not answer man's expectation, the expectation of pride, of flesh and blood, not of the Spirit of God who wills all that is best for man. God does not do what man expects him to do, does not approach him in the form he wants, which at the deepest level means that God, far from boosting man and making him feel grand, does exactly the opposite." - Sr. Ruth Burrows, O.C.D.

Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Thursday, January 19, 2017

"How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me: ‘You take care of it,’ then closes its eyes and rests."

“When you see things become more complicated, say then with the eyes of the soul closed: ‘Jesus, take care of it’. And don’t think about it anymore, because your mind is acute, and for you it is very hard to see evil and to trust in me and to not think of yourself. Do this for all your needs; do this all of you and you will see great, continual, silent miracles. By my love, I promise this to you. And I will take care of things. I promise this to you. Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation of repentance and of love. Then, what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you? Close your eyes and say with all of your soul: ‘Jesus, you take care of it’. Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender: remember this well. There is no novena more effective than this:

A friend sent me a novena prayer from Don Ruotolo - I prayed the prayer, "Oh Jesus, I surrender to you, you take care of it” - repeating it 10 times and peace returned immediately. The novena may be found here.

And when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

A big ‘queer dance party’ was thrown outside the Washington home of Vice President-elect Mike Pence to protest his stance on LGBT rights. - Source

I do not want to offend anyone, nor do I want to cast aspersions here, but when I came across this story, I thought of the passage in Genesis about the inhabitants of Sodom, demanding their way (with the visitors) outside the house of Lot.

Last week, LGBTQ activists demanded Jennifer Holliday refuse to sing at the Trump Inaugural. Ms. Holliday is not a political person but an entertainer - LGBTQ demanded she withdraw. That was unfair and an example of LGBTQ bullying. (Black people against Trump also pressured her, but I think Jennifer was most concerned about the LGBTQ lobby, because gay people have long been her fan base and she may have felt obliged.)

I'm not sure what rights gays are afraid of losing? Ms. Hudson was told, "It's not just about marriage." So what is it about? Are there special rights just for LGBTQ people? I know Pence was in favor of so-called 'conversion therapy' but there is no way it would become a law that people must go through conversion or reparative therapy, regardless if they are unhappy with their sexual and affective orientation, or not. People have a right to choose to seek help if they desire to do so. I know the background on the issues, and I think LGBTQ groups are wrong. They protest too much.

Yesterday, the guy who cuts my hair was talking 'concentration camps' and mandatory reprogramming-rehab centers for gays - because of Trump. He wasn't kidding. It was like being in that Esurance over-sharer commercial with Beatrice - I just responded with crazy remarks. It's the only way I know to avoid getting into a serious discussion.

I came across it in my prayers. I was reminded of a time long ago when I was in the friars chapel at Carmel in Arkansas, we just began to pray Psalm 46, when a small earthquake rumbled the building:

God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea;
even though its waters rage and foam,
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.

Therefore whenever I randomly come across these prayers of confidence in liturgical prayer, I'm always reminded of that experience so many years ago, and I wonder if an earthquake maybe just ccurred someplace in the world. A childish thought, no doubt.

Although, when I came onloine I noted a report that Umbria and Rome were shaken by multiple earthquakes today - 3 consecutive quakes measuring magnitude 5+. The area has already suffered much, one resident stated: "This is totally unnerving. It's never ending. We are all shaking." Story here.

Only a blind man can deny there is great confusion ...

So. Even the stones cry out.

I came across Monsignor Pope's essay on St. Michael and Our Lady and why 2017 is so critical. He's a good priest, a good pastor, he is observing the Fatima Jubilee encouraging prayer and penance - just as Our Lady requested.

Will you join me in praying with special fervency this year? In my own parish, we will be observing the First Saturday devotions that were requested by Mary at Fatima. This will be a communal way to engage the call to prayer. It involves attending Holy Mass, praying the Rosary, and going to confession (that day or within one week) on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. Others also add the wearing of the scapular and/or making a consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. - Monsignor Pope

I'll leave it at that. It's the best advice I've come across online.

I'm tired of the negative discussions and essays on how bad everything is. Only a blind man can deny there is great confusion ...

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

I don't mind habits for enclosed religious or as choir dress ... but ...

I could never be a religious or priest because I don't like the clothes - I've always said that. I used to ask my friend in the novitiate if the habit made me look fat - and I was anorexic. (No one knew that at the time.) I'm so vain. So I'm not one to critique habits. My problem with white tunics is that you can kind of sort of see through them - so a scapular helps - and for that reason I can say, 'looks good!'

All kidding aside - it's none of my business what religious wear - except some 'habits' really were dumb - precisely because, in the cases of women religious, they wore the current fashion for widow's weeds, their coifs were starched according to local custom, and so on. Traditional men's habits were monastic or clerical - although fashionable updates were made and as fashion changed - they looked dated and ridiculous. So much could be said ... but I digress.

It now looks as if one design firm hopes to revive the tradition of the dumb-fashion-victim habit for the 21st century.

Dutch clothing brand Byborre has collaborated with the Dominican Order of Preachers to create an updated unisex version of the friar's habit. The New Habit capsule collection consists of several unisex garments, including tops, track trousers, tunics, hooded gilets and coats. - Read more here.

I like my designs better...

source

"Got a match?"

I remember when I was fooling around with these ideas, and a friend asked me if I was nuts. LOL! Maybe a little bit.

All I have to say is this, just wear men's clothes brothers - black and white around the collar - and women should always have a little (or plus size) black dress. Stick with the classics.

Like I said - it's none of my business. But it seems to me the problem isn't so much the habit, but the fact 'they' just don't want to be obligated to wear one - so no matter how you redesign it, it's never going to work for those who 'don't like the clothes'. Of course, then you have the problem of those who like them a little too much ...

Anthony is often depicted in his temptations - especially by more or less secular artists. I often think of what Christ said, 'what did you go out to the desert to see?'. Anthony went out to the desert and their confronted demons, and himself ... that is, fallen human nature. Fallen human nature, perhaps scarier than demons.

Veritatis Splendor

About Me

... My idea of what I am is falsified by my preoccupation about what I do. And my illusions about myself are bred by contagion from the illusions of other men. We all seek to emulate one anothers imagined greatness....If I do not know who I am, it is because I think I am the sort of person everyone around me wants me to be. I have asked myself whether I wanted to become what everybody else seems to want to become... only to realize that I do not admire what everyone else seems to admire. I have only thus begun to live after all... But it is very late. - Adapted from a quote by Thomas Merton

Holy Face of Jesus

Show us your face and we shall be saved. "Each soul is the object of My special love. That is why I am so grateful to those who are resourceful and bringing back sinners to Me. Keep this in mind then. I gave My life for them in the most atrocious torture, for these poor beloved ones. A humble repentance, and they are already on My heart. So speak gently to them. Speak with tenderness. A brusque remark could drive them farther away." - He and I

Prayer to St. Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.